I'm going to probably open a can of worms here, but I want your opinion

[dspring]

I was just at a seminar a couple of weeks ago, and the person at one of the lectures commented that they are no longer make a heparin from beef, and it is all pork heparin. This triggered something in my mind, and mad me think if this is the case, can you actually give Heparin to someone of the Jewish, of Muslim faith. Since both faiths from what I understand forbid the use of pork. One nurse I used to work with had told me in the past if I ever come in as a patient you have to use the beef based Heparin. The more I have thought about this the more it really bothers me. I want to here your opinions.

D

[dilleweed]

I have to say that I found it really funny that while reading this thread, the ad at the bottom of the screen was for 'bacon salt'. :chuckle:chuckle

[10MG-IV]

great can of worms

i am a kosher vegetarian and the thought of insulin and heparin out of beef or pork freaks me out is there an alternative? i find most patients don't have a clue. kitten[/quote

oy vey!

i'm calling sally forshcein :nurse:to ask her her opinon right now,,,,,with all due respect, lets ask a rabbi.

asa to the rescue.... what a great marketing tool it could be kosher approved!

lovonex is porcine too.

[LilgirlRN, ADN, RN]

Would I knowingly give someone who is Jehovah's Witness blood products? No. Would I tell a Jewish or Muslim person that the heparin in pork-based? I probably wouldn't have ever thought about it. If it's all about religion I am almost certain that "god" of anykind would rather keep his followers than have them die from a PTE.

[tiggerforhim]

I still believe that it's the patient's job to disclose their religious views and to ask what's in the drug before they take it, if it's important to them. I don't see how it's an ethical violation for a nurse not to disclose information that she was not told is significant. If the patient noted their religious requirements in their chart and their wishes were not honored, that's an ethical violation. With everything that nurses have to do/remember, I don't expect them to keep my religious preferences in mind unless I explicitly tell them. There are many different customs/rulings/practices even within Judaism or Islam and a nurse can't be expected to keep track of them all. I don't see why you'd want to even go there as a nurse - do you want to be blamed now for inadvertantly causing a patient to violate a religious stricture that they didn't inform you of? As a protection for you, the standard should be that the onus is on the patient to inform the healthcare provider of their religious needs.

Look, in an emergency, with everything else we have to do/remember, if the patient does not tell me about, I'm not going to worry about it. Even if it's not an emergency, I'm probably not going to make it my priority, especially if there's nothing to indicate. If you decide to keep your mouth shut, don't blame me afterwards. If I knowthe patient is Jewish/Muslim, that's a different story. Also, like a lot of posters I've read here, I didn't know about the porcine source for heparin, so, again, with everything else expected of us, I don't have time to look up the origins of my meds. Just my 0.02, bluntly.

[Unavailable]

it is up the the patient to voice any requirements and not for us to know and search what may or may not be in their best interests according to what we think their religious beliefs maybe. but once voiced we should make some effort to accommodate those requests according to our knowledge and what is possible. but also remembering just because someone is from a certain belief not all practice the same so they need to be clear on their needs.

being a Muslim myself i know that some of the most major issues for Muslims are in dietary requirements and male to female care. and while not all places provide halal meals, vegetarian meals will suffice. and chicken isn't vegetarian( believe me some actually suggest it was). Muslim women prefer(strongly) to have a female nurse and in 99% of cases this shouldn't be a problem. they will often want the curtains drawn or their door closed to minimize non-relative males seeing them uncovered if not wearing their hijab(head covering). we are all taught(well i was) to knock/announce before entering. how often do we forget or don't? anyways kinda getting off topic

if the patient states their needs of what they can and cant have we should try and accommodate them maybe there are alternatives maybe not. and when it comes down to real necessity(serious illness or death) with no alternative even treatments deemed haraam(unlawful) are permissible.